Morning iPhone Usage, This Time with Intention

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a hard time getting out the door and getting to work in a reasonable amount of time. I can make excuses, but I know that  it has to do with my routine. And due to the fact that for a long time, I’ve used my iPhone as my alarm clock.

But that means that all that stuff – Facebook, email, Instagram, Pinterest, all of it, is sitting just a foot from my head all night. And, when the alarm goes off, I’ve taken to checking each of those accounts before I do anything else each day.

Here’s the brutal truth: I spend 10-15 minutes checking these accounts every morning. And it delays me from getting start on doing things that matter.

Don’t get me wrong. I love social media. I want to know if anyone’s emailed me. I love checking in with each of my friends and seeing what’s going on with Welcoming Spirit.

But, if I’m being efficient, and if I’m being intentional with how I spend my time, social media does not need to be the first thing that I check every day. I don’t even really want it to be the first thing I check every day.

I’d rather hug my new husband. Or kiss my four year old, or meditate, or make a cup of coffee, or snooze for 10 minutes. Those are things that bring me joy. Those are things that set me up for a good day, that prepare me mentally for what I need to do later.

Instead, I’d gotten in this routine of habitually checking my phone.

So over the weekend, the phone got put out in another room and I found a new alarm clock to take it’s place.  It’s an ugly little thing, but it works fine and it’s made me feel a little more peaceful about my mornings. Nevermind the fact that I’m getting to work about 20 minutes earlier…